A Pact of the Heart
by quickand2thepointless
Summary: COMPLETE. With the nature of his identity in question, those closest to Emil fight for the happiness of both the mortal boy they know and the Summon Spirit that gave him life. ToS2 Emil/Richter, Marta/Ratatosk.
1. An Unfair Situation

**A/N: **I've finally gotten around to doing what I've been meaning to do for forever: a multi-chapter Richter/Emil story! I wanted to begin with the relationship I left off with in _Gentle Winds and Warm Hands _and explore what would happen to the two of them when Emil's connection with Aster's killer, Ratatosk, became more apparent. I also wanted to bring Ratatosk and Marta into the equation because I've never actually written a story yet about their relationship or how Emil's identity crisis affects them. I can't wait to work on this project, and I hope you all enjoy it!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the characters or the Tales of world, just the creative spices.

_"Whatever you meant to love, in meaning to You changed yourself: you are not who you are, your soul cut moment to moment by a blade of fresh desire, the ground sown with abandoned skins. And at your inmost circle, what? A core that is not one. Poor fool, you are divided at the heart, lost in its maze of chambers, blood, and love, a heart that will one day beat you to death." Suji Kowck Kim, Monologue for an Onion._

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Zelos had been right; the Cape Fortress was little better than a glorified dump. The stairways crumbled, the walls were covered in moss, and cobwebs clung to every exposed surface like thin and delicate veils. With every movement Emil made, he felt them brush against his skin and cling to his clothes as if to swath them in lace. He knew he didn't have the leisure of stopping and brushing them off because he had been told by Richter to either keep up or be left behind, but the sensation of their touch against him, like ghostly fingers against his back and neck, gave him the creeps, and he couldn't help audibly shivering whenever he came into contact with one as they made their way through the dilapidated fortress.

"What is it this time?" Richter sighed, his voice annoyed and long suffering. He halted their march and turned to Emil with cool and penetrating eyes.

Emil grimaced, his cheeks burning. He hadn't meant to disturb the temperamental half-elf with his nervous whimpering, especially since Richter was clearly more upset with him than he usually was. Other than a few terse commands at the start of their mission, he'd barely spoken two words to Emil, as well as going out of his way to avoid eye contact, or any kind of physical contact at all, for that matter. Emil could't help but wonder if this had anything to do with his Ratatosk-mode episode at the Temple of Darkness, which, according to Marta and Sheena, was the first time either of them had heard him confront Richter with unhesitating brutality. He couldn't remember anything about that day, but from the way Richter was treating him now, he could only guess that he said and did some pretty awful things.

"Well?" Richter asked again, the corners of his mouth going lower. "If nothing is wrong, cut it out with those noises you're making. You're getting on my nerves."

"I'm sorry," Emil said contritely.

"And the last thing I need to hear right now is another one of your apologies."

"O-okay."

Richter extended his hand and brushed it for a moment against Emil's blonde hair. Almost immediately, he jerked it back, a look of disgust passing over his face as if the mere touch of Emil was enough to revile him. The younger boy blushed in shame, wondering yet again what he had done to earn this displeasure. He wished he could take it back- whatever it was- so things could go back to the way they were before. Richter had never been an outright friendly companion, but at least there had been some semblance of friendship between them before it had somehow gone downhill on their quest for the cores.

"There were webs in your hair," Richter explained, his voice accusatory as if Emil had been going out of his way to run into them. "If you're not going to be careful, you may as well turn around and go back to Marta right now. I don't need your help."

Emil went silent, feeling as if Richter had slapped him. His assistance during these jaunts had never been solicited, but it had always, at the very least, been appreciated. Richter knew Emil risked a lot by lying to Marta and the others to be with him, and he'd always been able to respect the fact that the boy wasn't just tagging along for fun. But now, it seemed, none of that mattered to him. It didn't matter that Emil was putting things on the line all for his sake; whatever had happened between them at the Temple of Darkness seemed to sap Richter's will to be civil to the enemy who had once been his friend.

Suddenly, it hit Emil. The reason Richter was treating him this way. Maybe it wasn't because he had lost control of his dark side and lashed out, but because there was someone else inside him he may have forgotten. _Aster_. Richter had called him by the name himself, a look of pure agony on his face. Emil couldn't be sure, but there was a possibility he was the missing researcher from Sybak. Maybe Richter had figured it out, and was angry with him for forgetting everything, forgetting that they ever knew each other once upon a time.

"You don't want me around because...?" Emil whispered, more to himself than to Richter. He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer. Even if he had been Aster once, he wasn't now. There was no denying that. Aster had been a genius, and Emil barely knew anything about the world he lived in. Besides, there was the question of his memories of his parents and Palmacosta. He didn't understand how he could have imagined those in such vivid detail if he was supposed to have been in the Research Academy from a young age.

"Because of what?" Richter asked, looking at Emil expectantly. "Because of who you are? What, did Tenebrae finally tell you?"

"The people at the Academy told me about how I look like Aster. And the others said that there is a possibility... t-that I might be him."

Richter's face erupted in sudden pain and fury, shattering the cool and apathetic mask he typically wore. Without warning, his hands were against Emil's shoulders, pushing him against the cold and dirty fortress walls and pinning him there.

"You are _not_ Aster," he said coldly as Emil frantically registered the shock of his actions and the proximity of his body and face. "Aster is dead. And do you know who killed him?"

Everyone in Sybak pointed their fingers at Richter for Aster's murder, but Emil hadn't believed them. If Richter had needlessly spared Emil's life so many times, what would drive him to the kill the boy who had been his best friend? The man he knew wasn't capable of doing such a thing. Richter wasn't the type like Alice who killed for the sake of killing; he only did what he felt was necessary to achieve whatever ends he had in mind. If could spare a life, he did. Emil and his friends were a testament to that.

"I... don't know," Emil finally murmured, trembling beneath Richter's tight grip. "I don't know."

Richter exhaled sharply. He looked so angry that Emil couldn't bear to meet his eyes for any longer. Nervously, he fixed his gaze on the bloodstained floor, wishing he had never been brave enough to broach the subject of Aster when Richter was in such an obvious bad mood.

A rough hand pushed his chin upwards, forcing his eyes to once again meet the unrelenting stare he'd been avoiding. "That's right," Richter stated coolly, his fingers digging into Emil's jawline. "You don't know. You don't have a clue who you are."

"D-do you?" Emil whispered. "If you know I'm not Aster, do you know who I really am?"

Richter bared his teeth menacingly, looking as if he was about to release the full extent of his fury right then and there. Emil flinched, turning his face away so he wouldn't have to witness it. He knew there was a part of Richter that cared about him, but at the same time he was aware of the fact that he had exhausted that side of Richter to its limit. If the time was coming for them to become the enemies they were destined from the start to become, he didn't want to give his consent. Richter could do as he liked, but Emil had already vowed not to give up on him, no matter how their relationship changed. Even if he was about to get hurt, he would accept this fate without dealing out hurt in return.

After a moment, Richter's hand once again guided Emil's face so their eyes met. The anger in his expression had faded somewhat, replaced by sadness. It wasn't sadness like anyone else's sadness- there were no tears to be seen in his green eyes, and his brow was unwrinkled and smooth- but Emil could see shades of it here and there as Richter silently fought for the composure that usually came so naturally to him.

"I thought I knew who you were," he said darkly, his eyes boring deep into Emil's skin. "But I don't even know if there is even one single answer to that question. You may be the only who can answer it decisively. But all the same..." Richter's expression hardened again. "I know part of what exists within you. I know what that part of you did. I don't know how much the Emil I see before me is responsible, but when it comes down to it, it doesn't really matter. As long as that... that _thing_ is inside you, you are my enemy. That can never change."

Emil paled. Richter was just reiterating what Regal and Raine had already deduced about his identity as Emil Castagnier being an invention to disguise a dormant personality, but it sound worse coming from him. The others had been hopeful that Emil had become just as real as whomever he truly was, but Richter didn't seem to care at all about that. He had already honed in on the other Emil, the red-eyed, unrestrained defender of Marta, and decided never to forgive him for whatever he had done.

_No. _It couldn't be ending this way. It couldn't. Emil didn't understand who he was or how he had come to posses the memories of Emil Castagnier of Palmacosta or even what he was doing inside a body that seemed to belong to Aster, but he knew that the person he was now would never do anything to harm Richter. It didn't make sense that he was being punished for something he didn't have it in him to do, or that he was on the verge of losing the person he treasured most just because his existence had become muddled and confused by someone outside of his control.

"This isn't fair," Emil said quietly, for once looking into Richter's eyes of his volition. He felt as if he could cry, but at the same time, he realized he was much too exhausted. Everything was taking a toll on him; his increasingly lengthy time spent in Ratatosk mode, the fear of what he had done to Richter in the Temple of Darkness, the star shaped scar that he and Aster shared. And now this. What would it take to get his life back the way he wanted it?

"This just isn't fair," he said again.

Richter stared back at him, his eyes burning with a look somewhere between pity, disgust, and understanding. "Yeah, I suppose it is isn't fair" he admitted, his breath hot and intimate against Emil's upturned face. When Emil flushed and released a barely audibly gasp of surprise, he released his hold on him and took two steps backwards as if to put a safe amount of distance between them. "It isn't fair," he repeated, turning his face away, "but than again, neither are you."


	2. Unsolvable Riddle

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews, guys! I always love to hear what you have to say, and I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter. I usually try to update weekly or biweekly, so keep your eyes open for frequent new installments. Once I start writing, I just can't seem to stop!

_"I've just been imagining that it was really me you wanted after all, and that I was to stay here forever and ever. It was a great comfort while it lasted. But the worst of imagining things is that the time comes when you have to stop, and that hurts. There is no use in loving things if you have to be torn from them, is there? And it's so hard to keep from loving things, isn't it?" Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables_

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Richter was first and foremost a researcher. It was the thing he loved most in the world up until Ratatosk destroyed it for him, and even still he found himself frequently keeping detailed notes in the field journal he had used back at the Research Academy in Sybak. On a quest such as this, you never knew which tidbit of information would prove important along the way. With this in mind, he paid close attention to each story and legend he heard, especially those that regarded the Chosen's recent Journey of Regeneration. At this point, nearly all the pages in his journal were covered in words describing subjects such as the development of Cruxis Crystals and Exspheres or the nature of the Ginnungagap and the demonic realm it sealed.

So when it first came to light that Ratatosk was sharing Aster's body alongside of Emil, the second thing that came to Richter's mind- after his initial violent and vengeful instincts had passed - was to do a little research on the matter. He didn't know much about two opposing personalities sharing a host body or how such a thing could even come to pass, but he knew if there was the smallest chance to separate the entities of Emil Castagnier and Ratatosk from one another, he had to pursue it.

He began his search in Palmacosta. Not only was it Emil's hometown, but it was also the location where Marta underwent her fusion with Ratatosk's core, the event that had started everything. However, if Ratatosk truly existed within Emil, that fusion had to be false. Instead, Ratatosk had likely been summoned by Marta, appearing in flesh before her in the guise of Aster, the boy whose life he had stolen. That much Richter understood. What he couldn't comprehend was how Emil had been wrapped up in the chaos when he should have been beside his parents as they faced the blades of Lloyd's imposter. Had the exhausted Summon Spirit permitted the dying boy to share his body in order to protect his true identity as he recovered his strength?

The more Richter investigated, the less sense it made. The Emil Castagnier the surviving Palmacostans recalled was not at all like the one he himself was familiar with. Emil, they told him, was a popular and smart young boy who had been among the top of his class in the prestigious academy in town and always seemed to be surrounded by friends. He was kind and mild mannered, but certainly not shy, cowardly, or submissive. Even subdued by his parents' deaths, he would have never tolerated abuse like the other Emil received in Luin, at least not without a fight.

It didn't add up. Emil had the appropriate knowledge of being Reysol and Lana's son and of growing up in Palmacosta, but other than that, he seemed to have no other similarities with the original Emil Castagnier. But if that was the case, why was a distinctive being coexisting with Ratatosk claiming Emil's identity? Even if Ratatosk had stolen the name, that didn't explain how the Emil personality had become unique and sentient apart from the dominant Summon Spirit that had devised it.

Richter spent many hours working out this conundrum in his field journal. Aside from the mystery of how Emil's separate consciousness came to be, he was pretty sure he understood the path of the boy's development. Ratatosk had left him with a few clues to go on- the name Emil, the death of his parents at the hands of Lloyd, the fact that he lived in Palmacosta and had an aunt and uncle in Luin- but other than that, Emil was essentially a blank slate. With no other ideas of who he was or how he should act, Emil based himself off of how everyone else treated him: like trash. His aunt, uncle, and the citizens of Luin kicked him down like a dog, so that was the only thing he knew how to become. Ratatosk had left him to fend for himself, but without the strength and conviction to learn how, Emil had floundered.

Was there a way out for him? Richter had no idea where to begin to look for one. That Ratatosk and Emil had different thoughts and tastes and priorities indicated that they could be split, but at the same time, it was questionable that removing Emil from the source of his existence was safe. If Emil was bound in Ratatosk's powers as a Summon Spirit, it was possible that being removed from those powers could cause him to wither and die. Richter couldn't chance that outcome; Ratatosk was the one he wanted to destroy, not Emil.

In the end it was a hopeless quest, and he knew he needed to give it up. Aster's life was the priority here, and nothing, not even Emil, could get in the way of that. If he had to be sacrificed along with Ratatosk, Richter would just add that crime to all the others he would pay for later. It wasn't right, in a way, that he would cause the death of an innocent to reverse the death of Aster, but he was done with pretending that anything in his life was fair. He'd set himself on this course, and he was going to see it through to the end. He owed Aster that much for the way he had unknowingly brought about the events that led to his murder at the hands of Ratatosk, a mistake that haunted him every waking moment, torturing him with guilt.

_Emil would never do something like this,_ Richter brooded to himself, staring at his meaningless scribbles for the answer to the riddle he would never solve. _He would sooner sacrifice himself than harm someone he cared about. But I can't abandon Aster. I can't._

"Is this really what Aster would have wanted you to do?" the nagging voice in the back of Richter's head reminded him. Annoyingly enough, it sounded a bit like Emil.

"Shut up," Richter told the voice. "Who are you to say what Aster would or wouldn't want? The only thing he didn't want was to die."

He looked back down at the open notebook resting before him. All of his numerous theories leapt out at him, but none of them sounded right anymore. _What is Emil? A spirit? An incomplete memory stolen from a dying boy in Palmacosta? An invention? An aspect of Ratatosk's power?_

With a sigh, he picked up his pencil and placed it at the bottom of his list. In the one remaining blank area, he wrote in tiny script the word _Conscience_. He didn't think it was something Ratatosk even possessed, but it was as good a stab in the dark as any for the time being.

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_"It isn't fair, but then again, neither are you."_

Richter watched as Emil staggered away from the wall in a daze, his eyes blinking rapidly as if he once again needed to acclimate himself to his surroundings. The walls of the Cape Fortress still surrounded them, but it felt for a moment as if they had left it and entered into a world where only the two of them existed. Now that they had returned, the memories of why they were here and what they were doing came flooding back. The Deep Sea Scroll. Finding where Hawk had put it. Saving Aster and killing Ratatosk. Right.

"Come on," Richter barked, gesturing Emil forward. "It has to be in here somewhere. Try to keep up."

Emil's brow furrowed in confusion. "But I—oh, yes. I-I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Just focus on the task at hand."

They ended up finding the scroll in the far reaches of the building. It was a bit damp and worse for wear from Hawk's less than conscientious care of it, but it would do for Norton. Whatever the case was, Richter's scavenging was now nearing its end. It wouldn't be long until he was one with the Ginnungagap and Aster would be free from the chains of death Ratatosk had placed on him. He didn't have much time left here in this realm, and neither did Emil.

"Is that it?" Emil asked, brushing more dust and webs from his clothes. "So what do we do now?"

"We go back," was Richter's answer, "and become enemies."

Emil's mouth fell open in surprise, as if he had somehow managed to forget this trivial detail. "But you know I can't do that!" he cried. "There must be some other way."

"There isn't. I warned you from the beginning. You were destined to be my enemy, and there is nothing either us can do to change that."

"Richter!" Emil's hand found his and tugged on it desperately. The scars and bruises had mostly faded, and his grip seemed stronger now, more certain. He was truly becoming a worthy knight for Marta, despite Richter's initial doubts. Maybe that was for the best. She could take care of him and fight by him in the end, giving him the love and protection that Richter himself was not strong enough to give.

"I'm not going to give up," Emil insisted. "I-I won't do it. I don't know who I am or what I did to make you hate me so much, but none of that changes the way I feel about you. I'm not going to run away anymore!"

Richter stared at him for a long moment, watching as his eyes misted over with tears. They were the tell-tale green that indicated that Emil was the one speaking to him, Emil and no one else. If he looked hard enough, he could forget that Ratatosk was anywhere inside this beautiful creature that had somehow managed to worm his way into his heart in spite of everything. If he forgot to think, forgot everything but what was standing right in front of him, he could pretend that none of this was happening and that Emil was just a normal boy he had met under normal circumstances, possessing nothing more to him than what met the eye.

But none of it was true, of course. The world wasn't fair. Nothing he had was his to keep, least of all this dear and trusting young man in his arms.

"Emil," he said quietly, listening to his sobs and sniffles with a torn and defeated heart. "I'm sorry."

The blonde froze, his tears drying up almost instantaneously. Richter couldn't blame his surprise. He rarely apologized to anyone, and often expressed his disgust in people who handed regrets out without meaning. But this one he truly meant. He regretted this goodbye as much as Emil did, even though he knew it was inevitable.

"S-sorry?" Emil echoed blankly. "You?"

"I'm sorry for not being able to save you. You shouldn't have anything to do with this, but that being inside of you can't be permitted to survive. It isn't fair, but that's the way it is. I don't expect you to understand, but..." Richter trailed off, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Emil."

"No!" Emil protested fiercely into his ear, his tears resuming again. "I won't accept it. I won't let it end this way."

Richter's temper flared, but he tried his best to bite the worst of it back. "It doesn't matter what you do," he said tightly, rebuffing Emil's resolve. "There is only one way this can end, and there is no way to avoid it. Stop kidding yourself that it could ever be otherwise!"

As Emil battled with his frustration and sadness over these remarks, a spot of light appeared over his head. Richter blinked. They were still deep within the fortress, far away from any windows or natural sources of sunlight. It didn't make sense for something so bright to be anywhere in such a dank and darkly lit place, but there was no denying that it was there. Not only could he see it as plain as day hovering right above them, but he could feel it, too, the enveloping blanket of warmth that spread across his body and filled him with a strange sense of comfort and control.

"Your heart is troubled," a voice said, somewhere from deep within Richter. He didn't think Emil could hear it, since the boy had failed to react to the foreign and unexpected presence within the room. The ball of light that only he could see grew brighter, and suddenly the shape of a spirit took its place, a fox-like creature with a fanning rainbow tail. It surveyed the room for a moment before its gaze settled on Emil and Richter with a powerful and fathomless expression.

"There is never only one solution to a predicament such as yours," it said, staring at Richter intently. "It is incorrect to say there is an unavoidable end, when the courses your life may take are as various as the stars in the sky. If your mind tells you one thing, and your heart tells you another, it is possible for the power in your heart to carve a new path for you that did not exist before. If you truly wish to save this boy as well as save the world his darker spirit threatens, there is no reason why it cannot be done. All you must do is acknowledge your wish with all your heart, and I shall make it so."

"What are you?" Richter murmured quietly, overcome with awe. In all his years of research, he had never heard of a Summon Spirit such as this one. Spirits did not actively seek out people, nor offer their services without first establishing a pact, much less to someone who was not a summoner. But this spirit had come to him on its own free will, and even seemed to have been listening in on their conversation, as well as the private thoughts of Richter's heart.

"I am called Verius. Born from human emotions, I exist to help those with restless hearts find love and peace. I am called by their need, and only find myself where I am most desired. If you did not wish for my assistance, I would never have met you here."

"What do you mean? What do you need me to do?"

Verius began to glow again. "You are torn now. Torn between love for this poor child who rescued you from the sadness in your heart and hatred for the one who damned the world and destroyed your beloved friend. You do not wish to harm the one you love, but you fear that he is one and the same with the one you hate. I know what exists within that boy's heart, but it is not my place to tell you who or what he is. It is up to you decide if you will save or sacrifice him even though he may be inexorably linked to your despised enemy. Until you make your choice, there is nothing I can do to help you."

The shape of the fox spirit slowly began to fade away, and the feeling of warmth grew fainter as he vanished. "You know where to find me," its dying voice murmured into the silence of Richter's head. "I follow the desires of your heart. When you are ready, look for me there. I'll be waiting."

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**A/N**: Next up, Marta and Ratatosk enter the fray. Stay tuned!


	3. Half His Heart

**A/N: **Thanks once again for the reviews and support! I'm back at college now, but I'll try to keep up with this as best I can!

_"If you were really as tough as your defenses, you'd let them fall." Jimmy Eat World, Stop._

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It was lovely outside in Altamira. The sun was shining brightly overhead, and there was just enough of a light sea breeze to keep the air from becoming too sultry and unbearable. From every window, the sound of laughing children could be heard alongside the gentle and rhythmic lapping of waves against the sea shore. This place was paradise, the very definition of comfort and happiness. Even shaken by the recent infiltration of the Vanguard, the city was endlessly resilient. It seemed as if nothing could permanently take away its serenity or make it anything other than pure and beautiful.

A tear slid down Marta's cheek. She had been so happy when they first came here. Even with the typically temperate weather being affected by the nearby presence of a centurion's core, she had been thrilled by the resort and adamant that they should enjoy it during their stay. She had dreamed of bringing Emil down to the beach to splash him in the ocean, or taking him to the amusement park for a romantic ride on the Ferris wheel. She would have bribed Regal to have the ride conveniently stall when they were at the top so she could steal a kiss while they were trapped there together. Never had she imagined that Altamira would become the Vanguard's battlefield, and that she would find herself sequestered away in the Lezareno Hotel, shuttering windows to block the cheery sunshine so that the two invalids could rest in peace. Outside, Altamira may have been heaven. But inside, it was if they were trapped in a living hell.

Marta wished she could forget the sight of her father being carried into her rooms, his face ashen and his body covered in blood. It pained her all the more that she was largely responsible for him being in this state, even though she knew Solum's core was the truer culprit. As necessary as it had been to fight him so that he could be freed from the evil influence within him, as a daughter, Marta was wracked with guilt for facing her father and cutting him down with her own hands. Finally she understood how Regal had felt when he'd ended Alicia's life; no matter the circumstances, the act of bringing harm to someone you loved cut deeper than anything else.

Brute had been settled in as soon as they arrived, and Raine was now attending to him with her healing artes. Marta wanted to be at his side to see him through his recovery, but the others had advised her to leave the healer to her work until her father was out of danger. She had gone to Emil's rooms to keep vigil over him instead, but seeing him in his own suffering offered her no reprieve from her sorrows. She found him curled up into a tight and protective ball in his bed, his small hands balled up into fists at his side and forehead creased and drenched with perspiration. Every so often, he cried out like a wounded animal, his whole body trembling in fear as it responded to the familiar nightmare that had suddenly become very real.

"Emil," Marta whispered, pressing her hand against his flushed cheek. "Please be okay."

At the sound of her voice, Tenebrae materialized at the foot of Emil's bed. "Be careful not to wake him," the centurion cautioned. "I don't think he'll be fit to talk to you directly when he regains consciousness. You should leave here before then, Lady Marta. The return of his memories has left him much to face up to, and I doubt his recollection of Aster's death is something he would like discuss right away, even with you."

Marta withdrew her hand and studied Emil's sleeping figure more closely. "I could never blame him for that, Tenebrae. It isn't possible. He hates hurting others more than anything in the world."

"That is true of the Emil that exists now. But Lord Ratatosk was of a different mind when he was first awakened and in agony over the loss of his beloved tree."

"So Emil... really is Ratatosk, isn't he?"

"Lord Emil is a part of Lord Ratatosk," Tenebrae clarified. "The part left awake to protect his existence while the rest of him recovered. The slumbering Lord Ratatosk still exists as what you know as Emil's 'Ratatosk Mode'. But yes, in essence they are both the Summon Spirit Ratatosk, even though they now possess two very different personalities."

"So for that reason, Emil still feels responsible for what happened to Aster and Richter when they summoned Ratatosk?"

"It is never easy to feel implicated in the suffering of someone you care about, as you already know, Lady Marta. Lord Ratatosk acted on his anger and grief at the death of the World Tree, and ended the life of Aster in reparation. I do not think he anticipated doing so would harm his conscience so greatly, but at the time, I doubt he thought of anything else but punishing the world for its betrayal of him."

Marta's fists clenched. "But he's different now. I know Emil- both sides of him- and he cares about us too much to destroy us for the crimes of the humans and elves in the past!"

"I too trust in Lord Emil. I have confidence that his influence on Lord Ratatosk will make all the difference, but as things stand now, Lord Ratatosk's will is just as strong as Emil's. He has not yet had enough to time to be convinced that there are other ways to save the world other than destroying it, and until he is once again merged with Emil, I would rather not put all my faith in his benevolence."

"Merged? What do you mean?"

Tenebrae turned his face away from her. "Let's not worry about that now. For the time being, I suggest we do our best to keep Lord Emil's personality dominant and explain his situation to him the best we can. And Lady Marta?"

"Yes?"

"I know you care about both sides of Lord Emil, but it is not wise of you to treat them as indistinguishable. They have distinctively different perspectives on this issue, and on many others as well, if you catch my meaning."

Marta was about to admit that she didn't, but was interrupted by the sight of Genis popping his head into the room. "Raine told me that you can come up and see your father now," he said. "His wounds are closing up, and we think it won't be too long before he's awake again."

Tenebrae nodded to her. "Go on, Lady Marta. I'll keep watch over Lord Emil. Just remember what I've said to you, and keep in mind that there are two wills at work within him. We'll come find you when he's ready to talk."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Marta couldn't completely pretend as if she didn't realize how the extreme differences in the two Emils pertained to her. She liked to maintain that Emil and his Ratatosk Mode self were equally dear to her heart, but once, for a sad and fleeting moment, she came to the conclusion that _she_ was the one held in unequal affection between the two of them. She told herself that she had to be wrong, and that since they were both Emil, if one loved her, the other naturally did as well, but all the same she could not keep from thinking somewhere in the back of her mind that she had only half of his heart, while the other half shyly and deliberately evaded her grasp.

She remembered the day of this realization very well. They had been in Sybak after Emil's unforgivable episode in the Temple of Lightning in which he had sucked Rilena into a dimensional portal along with the pesky Decus, and he and Marta had launched into a very vocal and public fight in the center of town. She never imagined anything would make her so angry at Emil, but the way he treated Rilena with such scathing indifference incited her. She had even tried not speaking to him until he admitted his guilt, but her rage was so great that it spilled out in spite of her best efforts.

"Why does it even matter to you?" Emil (Ratatosk, she now realized) asked her, gazing at her as if she were crazy. "She's just some _human_. And if I hadn't stopped Decus, he would have hurt you."

"You didn't have to involve her," Marta yelled fiercely, earning herself a few confused stares from the nearby academicians. "If that's how you want to protect me, I'm not interested in having your help anymore. I'll be fine on my own."

"Don't be a stubborn fool! You're not strong enough. Without me at your side, the Vanguard will have you killed."

"Keeping me safe doesn't matter if it means that innocent people who have nothing to do with this are being harmed by us. If that's how you really feel, why are you even here?" She took a step forward, her shoulders shaking. "The Emil I know wouldn't do this. He'd do everything he could to save Rilena, even if it meant putting his own safety at risk. Give him back to me. I want him back!"

"That weak fool," Ratatosk snarled bitterly. "You think he can take care of you the way I can? Who do you think fights with you whenever you're threatened? Who do you think has kept Richter from killing you all this time? It isn't that pitiful weakling, Marta. He doesn't know how to really, truly protect you; not like I do."

"Don't talk that way about yourself!" Marta cried, slamming her hands against his chest. "The other Emil may not be strong, but he's always, always kind! He'd never hurt anyone like this, especially not if he knew it would hurt me. Please give him back! I don't want you here anymore! I hate you!"

"So you too, huh?" Ratatosk drew away from her, his red eyes flashing coolly. "What will it take to make you happy? Why does it always have to be him?"

"I love Emil."

"And I'm not Emil to you anymore? Have you decided to stop defending me?"

"No! I-" Marta dropped her gaze. "How can you expect me to love you when you're like this? I can't forgive you when you act so cruel."

"Cruel?" Ratatosk's constant look of aggression faded somewhat to reveal genuine bewilderment. "You think I did it to be cruel? When you love something, don't you do whatever it takes to keep it safe? When someone threatens it, don't you punish them until they never come near it again?" His hands grabbed Marta's forearms and roughly pulled her closer. "The other Emil doesn't know the first thing about protecting someone like that. Or," he smiled wryly, "at least not you. Why else do you think he always turns to me when you're in trouble? It isn't because he isn't strong enough. As a part of me, he can take care of himself if he wants to. And knowing that, I don't see how can you possibly insist on loving him most. You deserve better than a fool who is in love with the wrong person."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Marta sputtered, trying to slip from his grasp. "Please stop this. You're making a scene."

"Marta." Ratatosk leaned in so his lips hovered beside her ear, only inches away from touching it. She could feel his breath caressing her skin, and she shivered at the chill it sent down her spine. "I'll bring him back if you really want, but you should be honest with yourself. If you want me to stop being cruel, maybe you should stop being so cruel to me. I'm not the only one to blame for the way I can't be calm around you."

"E-Emil?" Marta took another step back and felt her body collide with the brick wall of the inn. Ratatosk's face was drawing closer and closer to hers, and his hands were pressing against the wall on either side of her face, locking her against him. She knew she should put up a fight and yield nothing to him until he first apologized for his actions or relinquished his grip on his milder self, but a part of her- the stubbornly romantic part- wanted to forget their argument entirely and surrender to this hypnotic pull of red, impassioned eyes and the gruff yet careful touch of the person she had loved unrequitedly all this time.

"Goodbye, Marta," Ratatosk whispered. Removing one of his hands from the wall, he brushed his fingers against her lower lip, pushing it open. Before she could do more than breathe in sharply, his mouth was against hers, moving so slowly and sweetly that she thought her knees would buckle. Desperately, she grabbed onto his tunic to steady herself. Was her shy, tentative Emil really doing this right out in the open? She had always thought that she would be the one to initiate this between them, but here he was, in a beautiful fit of passion, kissing her. And doing an excellent job of it, no less. Her head was spinning and her legs were trembling, threatening to fall out from underneath her. She was supposed to be the aggressive one, the one making him blush and stammer, but somehow he was now doing the same to her. It wasn't at all how she imagined it would be, but she couldn't help but think this way was better, more mutual.

All of a sudden, the mouth against hers stopped moving and a pair of long eyelashes brushed against her skin. _He must be opening his eyes, _Marta thought. She fought the urge to draw him back to her and feel his lips against hers again, and with a sigh she opened hers as well. Green eyes stared back at her. Wide, green, and horrified eyes.

Emil shrieked and clapped his hands over his mouth as his cheeks turned a brilliant shade of red. "M-Marta!" he stammered, his voice coming out high and panicked. "W-what... w-why was I... I... I... I'm so sorry!"

Marta laughed at his embarrassment. "It's okay, Emil. It was a bit unexpected, but I was happy to learn your true feelings."

Emil's face colored even more. "But I didn't... but I don't even remember doing anything! I don't know why I would do something like that to you!"

"Emil?" Marta's shoulders slumped in disappointment. "Do you really mean that?"

"Of course I do! It's not right for me to attack my best friend like that." His shoulders shook nervously. "Where are we? How did we even get here? Weren't we at the Temple of Lightning?"

"You don't remember anything?"

"I remember Decus was attacking us, but that's all."

"You... you don't remember anything that you said to me?"

Emil took a step back in alarm. "I didn't say anything bad did I? I don't know what's come over me. If I hurt you Marta, I really didn't mean to. I feel so horrible about all this."

"Don't," Marta sighed, dejected. How had he changed so significantly from one moment to the next? If he was repulsed by kissing her, why did he do it in the first place? She'd never had any doubts before that Emil and his Ratatosk Mode personality were the same person, but now she didn't know what to think. How was it possible that he could confess that he loved her and then in the next moment dismiss her as nothing more than his best friend?

His words- the ones he claimed he couldn't remember- nagged at the back of her mind. _The other Emil doesn't know the first thing about protecting someone like that, _he'd said._ Or at least not you. Why else do you think he always turns to me when you're in trouble? It isn't because he isn't strong enough. As a part of me, he can take care of himself if he wants to. And knowing that, I don't see how can you possibly insist on loving him most. You deserve better than a fool who is in love with the wrong person._

The wrong person? Did that mean he was in love with someone else other than her? How could he be so cruel as to get her hopes up only to tell her that she had to share him with someone else? How could he do this to her?

And how, most of all, could one person be in love with two people at once?

0o0o0o0o0o0o

**A/N**: Next chapter is my favorite kind (Richter-centric!) Stay tuned!


	4. Someone Worth Saving

**A/N: **Yay! I finally get to release a new chapter! This school year is already threatening to drown me in reading assignments (ah, the joys of majoring in English), but I'll do my best to keep up with this as best as I can. But if I am seem to be silent for awhile, this is most likely because I'm juggling novels for Victorian Lit, novels for History of Europe, essays for Lit Theory, and writing exercises for creative writing. Anyhoo, it's time for a Richter chapter. Yummy!

_"I don't know how to say what I really want to: that people you love can surprise you every day. That maybe who we are isn't so much about what we do, but rather what we're capable of when we least expect it." Jodi Picoult, My Sister's Keeper._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"I love you."

These words were said to Richter for the first time over a bowl of wild berries arranged in the shapes of flowers and butterflies. He and Emil had just set up camp outside of the Camberto Caves after scavenging for rosemary and Angelatops, and his companion had kindly served this meal as a reward for their efforts, which had taken up a good part of the afternoon. All Richter had done was thank him for it, as it was only natural to do, but somehow the confession had decided to come out right then and there, as if mere courtesy warranted such an extreme and bewildering response.

"I love you."

Emil clapped his hands over his mouth and began to sputter as soon as the words were out in the open. Clearly, he hadn't actually meant to say them out loud. He'd probably been thinking them to himself, and his mouth had moved on its own accord. Not that it mattered, really. Whether they were in his mind or spoken aloud, the fact that these feelings existed at all was a troubling and unexpected problem.

Richter opened his mouth and shut it again. He tried waiting for Emil to say something intelligible for an explanation, but the blonde was too caught up in a miniature panic attack to be coherent. After a moment, he cleared his throat and absently adjusted the position of his glasses on his nose. "Excuse me?" he asked, his mouth twitching.

"I d-don't know!" Emil wailed, covering his face. "I-It just slipped out. Please don't be mad."

"I'm not mad. I just fail to comprehend how something like that 'just slipped out' for no reason. If you're going to joke around, save it for someone with the patience for it."

"But I wasn't joking," he protested. "I... I really do love you, Richter."

"Because I thanked you for the food?"

"Of course not. I love you for a lot of things. I wasn't going to tell you, but when you smiled like that just now, I guess I couldn't help myself. Please don't let it trouble you."

"And how," Richter grumbled, "am I not supposed to let it trouble me that you of all people feel that way? Do you even realize what you're saying?"

Emil flinched. "I know you don't want me to feel this way, but I can't help it. It doesn't matter what you think about me. I'm going to keep loving you anyways."

"And the number of times I've tried to kill you hasn't changed your mind? I find that rather masochistic."

"Even if you say things like that, it doesn't change the fact that I know what you're actually like. If you really wanted to kill me, we wouldn't be here together like this now. I trust you."

"Then you're a fool." Richter picked up one of the wild berries and chewed it thoughtfully. "I don't like fools, you know."

Emil hung his head. "That... that's okay. I understand. I didn't think you would feel the same way as me."

"Or maybe I'm just smart enough to know the difference between my enemies and my friends." He studied Emil's dejected face with a sigh. "It's not that I don't appreciate the sentiment. You're not a bad kid, and I don't hate you. I just don't see any point in fooling around with someone who's decided on working against me. Wouldn't you feel the same way if someone like Lloyd or Alice or Decus confessed to you?"

Emil looked slightly nauseated at the thought. "That's different," he said.

"How so?"

"You're a good person."

"Don't be naïve. I don't know any good people who've done half the things I've done. If that's your idea of me, you clearly don't know me as well as you think."

"Maybe you're just being hard on yourself."

"And maybe you have issues with admitting you're wrong." Richter stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothes. "It's been a long day. You should get some rest before we head for Iselia."

"Will you rest, too?"

"I think I'll stay up for awhile."

"Then so will I."

"Hmph. Maybe I'll rest, in that case."

"Good idea. I'll join you."

Richter snorted and reached over to ruffle Emil's hair. "You'd think that you wouldn't want to annoy me if you like me so much."

"I just want to be by your side while I still can. That's all."

"Idiot."

They set up their bedrolls on the ground and stretched out to make themselves comfortable. Emil, who was more exhausted than he was willing to let on, immediately curled up, yawned, and closed his eyes. Richter studied his face as he dozed, admiring the smooth and childlike lines and the way his eyelashes fluttered just perceptibly. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that this person loved him. Emil wasn't the kind of person who said things he didn't mean. He just didn't have it in him to be like all the people who had hurt and betrayed Richter in the past. If he said he was in love, and would stay in love no matter what Richter did, then he was most likely telling the truth. Even if Richter wasn't at all worthy of this gesture, it was still a sweet thing to possess for the time being.

"Emil," he said suddenly, keeping his voice soft in case his companion had fallen asleep while he'd been thinking.

Emil rolled onto his stomach, his eyes opening partway. "Yes?" he asked.

"If you reconsider being a Knight of Ratatosk, I might be willing to change my mind about you. Just keep that in mind if you're serious about that confession you just made me."

Emil bolted straight up from his bedroll. "R-Richter! What are you saying?"

"Goodnight." He rolled over onto his side, turning his back on Emil and feigning sleep until his companion gave up his inquiries and curled up beside him, the warmth of his small and innocent body a constant comfort against the cool air of the night.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

It was only a moment. It was only three words, three words so many had heard spoken before him. It was only the first of many times he would hear them from Emil, whether they be whispered shyly under his breath or stated deliberately, his eyes shining with hope of reciprocation. It was something so small in the scheme of things, but it was the one thing, the one moment, the three words that would make all the difference. It didn't matter how closely tied he was to Ratatosk. As long as there was Emil, Richter had something worth saving. Even if it was a risk, it was a risk he was willing to take. Emil was the only one to ever say those words to him. Emil was the only one who ever tempted him to say them himself. It was only one moment, true, but that one moment was enough to make him believe with all his heart in the path he had from the very beginning been most afraid of taking. And with that, his decision was made.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

This time, when the ball of light appeared before him, Richter was ready. Verius materialized just as he had before, as if he had been waiting attentively all of this time for the choice that needed to be made. He did not wait for Richter to speak, but fixed his gaze on him for a long moment and said, "You have something to ask of me, then?"

Richter nodded, clearing his throat. "I will not turn my back on Aster or give up on defeating Ratatosk, but I want no part in hurting Emil any more than I already have. Even if he was Ratatosk once or exists because of him, the person he has become couldn't be further from the monster that killed Aster and threatened to destroy the world he was supposed to protect. It may be foolish of me, but I'll place my faith in that boy's goodness and sincerity. What I ask is that Emil be delivered before I destroy the true Ratatosk in his core form. Please permit him to continue his life as a normal boy in the world he's come to love so much."

Verius tilted his head. "I see. There is no denying that this is your heart's wish, so I will make a pact with you. If you fulfill your mission of defeating Ratatosk and his allies when they come to stop you, before you dispose of the core, I will draw Emil from it along with the powers he and Ratatosk share as a Summon Spirit. The loss of these powers will destroy the core, and Emil will be able to take on the form he pleases and live out his life as a spirit of the earth. You will remain to do your duty in the Ginnungagap with the knowledge that your beloved and your friend will both be alive thanks to your sacrifices. Whether they will resent you for them or not is outside of my control. Is that acceptable?"

"I will agree to this plan with you, Spirit."

"Of course, should Ratatosk or Emil defeat you, his fate and yours will be his to control. Should he choose to seal the door himself or kill you to eliminate the threat you pose to his rule, it will be the decision of his own heart, which can only be made by him. If you are truly committed to resurrecting Aster and destroying Ratatosk's first self, you must take the victory as your own. If you cannot do this, our pact cannot be fulfilled, and you must abide by whatever that boy sees fit for you. As you trust him, this too may be for the best."

Verius closed his eyes. "We will meet again when all things have been decided. Even if all does not unfold as you expect, remember that this choice you have made is not the only path that leads to happiness. Yours is not the only heart moved for love of someone they would give anything to save. Continue to have faith in that which you love, and one day it may be the thing that delivers you. You are always ready to sacrifice, but perhaps the time has come for someone to make a sacrifice for you."

Before Richter could ask what was meant by this, the ball of light faded. There would be no going back now. The only place to go now was forward, down into the hidden underbelly of the world, down to meet his fate, no matter what it would be.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

**A/N**: Coming up: the time is approaching for Emil to have his own meeting with Verius. Can such a kind hearted boy eliminate a part of himself that someone close to him seems to have feelings for? What comes first: his feelings for Richter, his friendship with Marta, or the fate of the world he was meant to protect?


	5. Choice Advice From Chosen

**A/N:** Hey all! I had the apartment all to myself this weekend, so I thought I'd use my free time to write a new chapter for you (along with having a Bleach marathon and baking brownies and other fun stuff like that). This one was inspired by my love of the two Chosen, my favorite ToS characters Zelos and Colette! I couldn't write a multi-chapter fic without them having their little moment to shine. So here they are, in all their Chosen glory, to impart their angelic wisdom on the troubled Emil and Marta. Hope you like!

_"I loved the weight I had to bear, becasue it needed help of love; nor could I weary, heart or limb, when mighty love would cleave in twain the burden of a single pain, and part it, giving half to him" Alfred, Lord Tennyson, In Memoriam._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Everyone else was sound asleep around the dying camp fire, but Emil couldn't bring himself to close his eyes and drift off into peaceful oblivion. His time was running out. With the exception of Aqua, he had all the cores he needed to proceed, and he knew everything that needed to be done to take possession of the Ginnungagap as its guardian once again. There was nothing left to stop him from returning to his domain and resolving things once and for all with Richter. Nothing, that is, but his foolish, stupid, and stubborn heart.

Emil lifted himself up from his bed roll and wandered to the edge of the hill they were camped on. The moon was shining brightly in the sky, casting a silvery sheen on everything below it. Emil raised his hand in front of his face and studied it in this translucent light. He could see his veins curving and twining underneath his skin like rivers, continually pushing blood through him, blood that was not only his, but Ratatosk's as well. He was divided in half, a fool with two minds, two wishes, two hearts. This was the only life he had ever known. What would it feel like to join them, he wondered. Would he want to save the world he loved, or destroy it? Would Richter still be the most beloved person in his heart, or would he try, as he once had before, to silence him forever?

"Emil?"

Emil turned around. Marta was standing behind him, her blanket clutched around her shoulders. There were bags under her eyes as if she was having just as much of a struggle falling asleep as Emil was.

"I heard you get up," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"A bit nervous," he admitted. "How about you?"

"I'm..." She trailed off. "Emil. Do you really think we're doing the right thing?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean, are you really okay with the idea of merging yourself with Ratatosk? What if you or Ratatosk get erased, or you're not you anymore? Are you sure this is the best thing for you to do? I trust in Ratatosk, Emil. I trust in you. I know that in the end you will both make the right decision, so why must you listen to the others about visiting this Summon Spirit of Heart? I don't think it's a good idea at all."

Emil sighed and bit his lip. "But what if I lose my temper again, Marta? What if something happens, and I lose control and forget about everything that's important? I don't want to hurt anybody. I don't want anyone else to die like Aster did because I can't reign in my emotions."

"But that was in the past. You're so different now, and I believe in your goodness enough to know that you would never do something like that again. The other you cares about all of us, too. Please give him another chance, Emil." Marta's eyes began to water. "He is a part of you, and I love him just as much as I love you. Don't make him go away. If you erase him, I'll lose the only bit of your heart that loves me. Please don't do that to me, Emil. I'm begging you."

Emil stared down at her flushed face, his heart sinking. "Marta, can I ask you about something?"

"Yes?"

"That time in Sybak... when I k-kissed you. That was really Ratatosk, wasn't it? Is that the reason why I can't remember?"

"He told me that he loved me, but that for you, there was already someone else. I thought I could handle my jealousy as long as Ratatosk existed within your heart, but now that he may be erased, I don't know what I'm supposed to do anymore. How can I go on if every single part of you looks at another girl instead of me? I'm not strong enough to face up to a life like that. I don't know how to love anyone else other than you."

Emil's body felt like it was going to collapse. He wanted to be selfish. He wanted only himself to exercise control so that Richter would love him and give up all of his plans to destroy the murderer of his friend. He didn't want to worry about another side of himself bursting out unannounced and bringing pain to the one he loved. But Emil just wasn't a selfish person in his heart. If Marta loved Ratatosk and Ratatosk loved her in return, he couldn't tear them apart for the sake of his own happiness. He was the one invading this body and he was the one who deserved more the threat of erasure. Ratatosk had existed first and had formed him from himself, and Emil knew he had no right usurp his creator now, just because he had fallen in love with someone during his time shielding Ratatosk from the outside world.

"Maybe I can think of something," Emil said, his heart throbbing in pain. "If I talk to the Summon Spirit, maybe he can help us figure out a way to save us both. I won't let you down, Marta. I want you to be happy."

"I'll trust you, then." She placed a hand on his shoulder and looked sadly into his eyes. "I don't understand. If you are Ratatosk, then why can't you love me, too? What can I do to get you to see me instead of somebody else?"

"I-It's not anything like that! You're not doing anything wrong, Marta. I care about you."

"But not enough." She drew her hand away and sunk further back into her blanket. "I'm going back to the fire. You should come with me and get some rest. It'll be a long walk to Iselia tomorrow."

Emil shivered. That time with Richter, they had been on their way to Iselia, too. He had never intended to confess his love for him at the time, but now he was glad that he did. If he was going to be erased, it was good that Richter knew how he felt before he was lost. Maybe it would mean something to him. Maybe it wouldn't. He only knew that whether he was alive or dead, Richter would have those words to hold onto. Even if he didn't exist anymore, the love he felt would never die.

"I'll stay out here," Emil said, turning his face away from Marta. "See you in the morning."

"Fine. Try not to stay up too late."

He sat down on the grass and pulled his knees up to his chin. He was glad it was such a beautiful night. Depending on what happened, it could be his last night on the world. Could he trust in Ratatosk to keep it safe for him? If he loved Marta like he said he did, he would have no other choice but to preserve it to fulfill her trust in him. As long as this beautiful sky, this green grass, this achingly ever changing world was to remain, it didn't matter what happened to Emil. He could be sacrificed as long as Marta and Richter and Colette and Regal and all the others could live in the place they had fought so hard to save.

"Don't cry, Emil," said a soft voice from beside him. He glanced in its direction. Colette had come to sit beside him while he was distracted, and she was now looking at him with understanding in her blue-gray eyes. She reached out her small hand to take his, and he accepted her gesture with silent appreciation.

"I heard you and Marta get up," she said, squeezing his hand. "I got used to not sleeping all night back when I was suffering from Angel Toxicosis, so I thought I'd keep you company for awhile. I know how hard all of this must be for you."

"Do you think Lloyd's idea about merging me with Ratatosk is all right, Colette?"

"Well, I always think its a good idea to trust Lloyd. He's a really great guy, and he doesn't believe in sacrificing people, so he wouldn't suggest it if he thought we would lose you because of it. But you and Marta are worried about Ratatosk, right? He's important, so you don't want him to go away either. I understand why it's a difficult decision for you to make. I had to share a body with someone else once, too."

Emil's eyes widened. He had forgotten about that until now. "You mean Martel, right?" he asked.

"Uh-huh. It didn't last for very long, but it was a strange feeling. I could hear all her thoughts and feel all of her emotions. She didn't want to be inside my body, but I knew that a part of her wanted to stay so she could help Mithos get better. But she knew that I had people who cared about me and needed me, too. It's really, really hard in a situation like that to choose whose wishes are the most important. Losing Martel would hurt Mithos, but losing me would hurt Lloyd. It shouldn't be up to us to choose whose happiness is the most important, but Martel decided to give my body back to me because she had already existed on the earth longer than she should have. But was it the right thing to do? Who am I say?"

"But if there is no right way to handle this, what am I supposed to do?"

Colette smiled gently. "That's one of the things I love about this world. Even if you think there is no way to make everything right, you can find a way where you least expect it. As long as you don't give up, there is no limit to the different ways you can change the world and your life. I know Marta is worried about us visiting him, but please discuss this with Verius when we see him tomorrow. He knows better than anyone else how to sort out a troubled heart, and I'm sure he'll help you find a way to see inside of yours. I'm just like Lloyd. I don't want to see you sacrifice yourself or anyone else because you feel that you have to. How can we expect to save the world if we can't save the people in front of us?"

Emil smiled slowly. "Didn't Lloyd say that?"

"Yes, and he was right. So please don't think of erasing yourself permanently. I believe that if we continue looking, we can find a way to keep both sides of you around."

"T-thanks, Colette. Thanks for believing in me."

"No problem." She tugged at his hand. "Now let's go to bed, okay? I have a feeling that things will sort themselves out tomorrow."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Marta walked back to her bed roll in a daze. She felt horrible. She knew Emil had been struggling with his identity ever since it first came to light he was Ratatosk, so why did she always have to feel the need to make it worse for him? Now, on top of everything else he had to worry about, he had to make a choice between his happiness and her own. Why couldn't she just let him be? Why couldn't she forget about herself for once and just let him live the life he had been thrust into by his other self?

In honesty, she couldn't bring herself to forget how he had looked at her, his red eyes holding on to her as if she were something indescribably precious to him. Or how he had said that he loved her, and that her cruelty to him made him cruel in return because he couldn't stand the way she treasured Emil and reviled him.

"But I do love you," she murmured to herself. "I couldn't tell you then, but I love you so much."

"Thanks, Marta hunnie!" Zelos chirped brightly into her ear.

She whirled around and ran smack into him, pitching forward into his arms. He caught her by the shoulders and set her straight, all the while grinning like a cat that had just finished feasting on a bird.

"What are you doing up?" she snapped, jerking away from his hands. "And I wasn't talking about you, you moron."

"Hey, hey now," Zelos said, glaring at her. "No need to get mad at me, especially since I was just about to offer you my shoulder of comfort. You look like someone who just put her foot in her mouth and didn't like the taste. I overheard you talking to Emil a moment ago. It actually interrupted this really naughty dream I was having about Sheena, you know."

Marta rolled her eyes. "Take your shoulder of comfort and go away, Zelos," she said. "I'm not in the mood right now."

"You do realize what sharing your feelings with Emil right now will do, right? He's going to have to make a choice, and if you go around telling him which Emil you like better, he may get it into his head to erase the side of himself that isn't smart enough to love you. I'd hate to think that your jealousy is getting the better of you, Marta dear."

"Don't be ridiculous," she sputtered. "There's no way I love one side of Emil more than the other. They're the same person!"

"I guess you could say that. But if I had been born a peasant instead of the beautiful and desirable Chosen that am I, do you think I would have grown up interested in all of the many hunnies of the world? And do you think all those hunnies would be as interested in me?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Emil and Ratatosk are the same being with different backgrounds. For the sake of my example, let's say Ratatosk was born rich and fabulous like me, and Emil was born a peasant. Now, having grown up with such a taste for fine things, it is only natural for Lord Ratatosk to fall in love with the lovely Princess Marta. But Emil, having been raised on the simple pleasures of life, might have more of a taste for someone who looks after him and shows him kindness and, say, teaches him a little bit about the magic of courage. I understand that you love them both because the same core spirit is there, but you don't have to expect him to make the same decision as you. Both sides are free to love whomever they want without you having to take offense that their love is divided. With the way they coexist, that's just the way it is."

"You're being confusing, you know."

Zelos sighed tragically. "And once again, all my brilliant advice goes ignored. Hmph. Just try to think about what you're asking your beloved Emil to do next time you decide to confront him like that. You may not like it, but Emil has someone he loves, too. He's already suffered enough on behalf of Ratatosk, and now what you're asking him to do is suffer more. If you love him so much, at least try and be sympathetic to the burden you're placing on him. You owe it to him, for everything he's done for you."

"I don't want to think about this anymore," Marta groaned. "I don't want to do this to Emil, but I don't want to lose him for any reason. Why does it have to be like this? Why can't life be fair for once?"

"If you want life to be fair, start being fair yourself," Zelos advised. "In any case, let Emil make his own decision tomorrow. Verius knows what's in his heart and will act on it based on what he wants. We all need to let go of our own wishes for Emil for now. Like it or not, it's up to him to decide."

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**A/N**: Coming up: a difficult pact of the heart is made, but who will be erased, and for whose benefit?


	6. The Pact

**A/N: **It never fails to amaze me when I proofread my chapters how depressing I get! I always start out intending to be optimistic, but I obviously can't help being a bit of a Debbie Downer (although I am a major sucker for happy endings, of course). I really am a joyful person though, I swear! I'm glad all of you are putting up with me... don't worry, I don't intend on punishing everybody forever!

_"It is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart." Gandhi_

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"This brings back a lot of memories," Colette said as the weary group crossed the threshold into the Martel Temple. "I can't believe it was only three years ago that this all began. It seems like so much has happened since, doesn't it?"

"So much _has_ happened, Colette" Lloyd laughed. "When we began, we had no idea what the world regeneration really meant, or that a place like Tethe'alla even existed. Because of the path we followed, the world changed forever. And it's far from over now. We managed to beat the odds last time and save both worlds, and I have faith that we can do it again. We have no other choice."

"I'll do my best for all of us," Emil said sincerely. "I don't know how much someone like me can do, but I don't want the people here to have to suffer anymore."

Lloyd smiled. "Don't underestimate yourself. Yuan and I agree that you are the key to restoring the world to a place where all of us can live safely. If we didn't believe in you, we would never risk informing someone possessing the spirit of Ratatosk of our plans. We're all trusting a lot to you."

"So where can we find Verius and speak with him? Does he live here?"

Sheena sighed from somewhere in the back of their group. "Not exactly," she said. "Corrine lives in all of our hearts, but this is the place where it is easiest to communicate with him. If we go to the heart of the temple, that should be enough to summon him to you. And in case you're worried, Corrine will speak so that only can you hear, so none of us will be able to interfere in your conversation. This is your decision to make, agreed?"

Emil glanced back at Marta, and she gave him a weak nod in return.

He still wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. He didn't want to hurt Marta or even Ratatosk, but he wasn't yet completely willing to sacrifice his hold on his life. There were so many things he hadn't gotten to do. He was born into turmoil and lived out his life in turmoil, focusing single-mindedly on finding the cores and stopping the Vanguard. He didn't know what it felt like to relax or begin a day with nothing in particular to do but sit back and enjoy life and its peacefulness. At the very least, he wanted to stick around for long enough to say goodbye to Richter and thank him for all he'd done. He didn't want their last memory of each other to be of their conflict in Altamira with the ghost of Aster's death hanging heavily in the air, a reminder of what pain Emil was capable of inflicting when he gave in to the unchecked rage inside of him.

Colette slipped her hand into Emil's and squeezed it gently. "Emil," she whispered, "please remember what I said last night about giving up on yourself. I believe that you can find a way through this. All of us do."

"But what if there isn't a way this time?" Emil asked, his hand trembling. "Or what if I can't figure it out on my own?"

"There will be a way," Colette said simply. "As long as you believe in it with all your heart, you can make a way."

They stepped into the seal room and approached the altar silently. There was nothing there physically, but the air around it seemed thick and potent with energy. It didn't feel quite like mana, but there was some other sort of power present that seemed to flood Emil's body and waken his every cell into excitement, much like he felt whenever he was in the presence of a Centurion's core.

"This place is where Colette received the oracle from Cruxis," Lloyd explained to Marta, Emil, and Tenebrae. "The journey of Regeneration started here, although it didn't exactly go as we thought it would. The quest was a twisted plot that nearly ended up killing Colette, but if not for the oracle, the worlds never would have been freed from competing with one another, and we'd still be under the thumb of Cruxis and the Desians."

"This is also a site with strong emotional memories," Raine added. "That's most likely why Corrine was able to be reborn here. Summon Spirits thrive in environments that reflect their personalities, and while this place stood witness to tragedy once, it also witnessed a great sacrifice on Colette's part as she pledged to save the world even though it meant giving of herself. Lloyd may have his opinions on her foolishness in agreeing to lose her humanity for the sake of regeneration, but there is no denying that Colette's pact was born entirely of the purest emotions of love in her heart."

"And it's those exact emotions that call out to Corrine," Sheena said. "That's the only kind of summoning he needs to appear before you here. Just focus on the pact you wish to make, and he will find you on his own."

Emil closed his eyes and focused on what little in his heart he was sure of. _I love this world, _he thought to himself._ I love the people I have met here. I want to save this place in any way I can without having to worry about harming or betraying my friends. I don't want Sylvarant or Tethe'alla to suffer any more than they already have, especially not because of the things I have failed to do on their behalf. As the Summon Spirit meant to protect this world, this is what I wish for with all my heart._

"But that heart of yours is not yours alone, is it?" a voice whispered inside of Emil. He opened his eyes and saw a fox-like specter resting at his feet and gazing up at him with a strange and unreadable expression. "There is such a great division with in you that to say that you wish for something with all your heart seems quite incorrect. Tell me, do you know on what terms you would like this dream granted by me?"

"A-are you Verius?" Emil whispered tentatively.

"Yes. And you are the second manifestation of Ratatosk, the Summon Spirit who once looked over the tree that was lost so long ago. I have felt the pain and confusion within you ever since you awakened again, but your heart was too split to properly call for my aid. You seek me of your own volition now, but I cannot seem to read exactly what you want. One part of you wishes to seal away your other manifestation, but another is afraid of injuring that young lady in the room whose heart is so wrapped up in you. And yet another part would sooner see the spirit of Emil erased than lose himself to someone he considers a weakness. While your heart is so divided, I'm afraid there is little I can do to help."

"I know that I can't save the world while I'm like this," Emil admitted, "but I don't want to hurt Marta or anyone else with my decision. And there's Richter..." He trailed off, his cheeks burning. "I shouldn't be so selfish, but I can't help it sometimes. I just don't know what to do."

"Just because you do not know now doesn't mean you will never know," Verius said, rising to his feet. "I will answer to you whenever you are ready, and the moment you understand, so too will I. But as long as you despair that there is no path to satisfy each part of you that exists within that body, then none shall be opened to you. I am limited only by the limitations you impose on yourself. Rise above those, and I shall grant both you and this world the hope of new life."

"But how-"

Emil's half-begun question fell into silence as the spirit faded back into the place where it came, burrowing deep into his heart and keeping a quiet vigil over the turbulent maze that had no end in sight, not even for the sake of the people and things he had thought he would sacrifice anything to save.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

"I'm so sorry, everyone," Emil said sorrowfully, his shoulders slumping. "I keep on wasting time by being so indecisive. I've been such a burden."

"Never mind that," Lloyd said, waving his hand dismissively. "Making a pact with Verius isn't something to be done lightly. If you're not sure, you're better off waiting."

"And don't blame yourself," Marta added. "This is all my fault. If I hadn't interfered, this would never have happened."

Emil shook his head. "That's not true. I was worried about doing this from the beginning. I don't want to erase Ratatosk, but I don't want him to put everything in jeopardy. I... I just can't justify choosing one solution over the other."

"Then let's just head back to Iselia for now," Lloyd suggested. "We still have a little bit of time left to us. Due to your ties to the Ginnungagap, we'd know if something had happened to it."

As soon as the words were out of Lloyd's mouth, the earth began to tremble beneath their feet. Several of them were pitched to the ground, but Emil stayed steady on his feet, listening to the cries of pain tearing through his heart. His door, his very kingdom was being torn asunder at that precise moment. He could feel the evil, the dakr and dangerous shadows he had always held at his back, threatening to leak through to taint and spoil everything that was good about the world. If they were permitted to continue, Niflheim would claim the land as its own, drowning the light in darkness and corrupting the pure into the demonic.

In an instant, Emil felt his control of his body slipping, but for once he did not forfeit his consciousness to the spirit that overwhelmed him. For the first time, his thoughts and Ratatosk's joined together in one singular and pressing desire. Their door could not be invaded. It was theirs alone, and nothing else would ever touch it. Nothing else mattered as much in the world as protecting it at any cost.

They called forth every ounce of power in their body, and, with the help of the centurions that had pledged their service, they concentrated everything on holding the door shut. The force of their efforts pushed the power of the demons back somewhat, but it was not long before they began struggling against it, fighting with their all might against the return of the captivity that had always been imposed on them.

"It isn't enough!" Ratatosk yelled. "Damn it! Stay... away... from... my... door... you... bastards!"

"Ratatosk!" Marta cried. "What's happening? What are you doing?"

"The Ginnungagap has been attacked," Lloyd said. "The demonic realm of Niflheim is trying to break through at the moment. It seems Richter made a pact with demons in exchange for the power to destroy Ratatosk."

"If he thinks I'll allow him to do this, he's about to be surprised." Ratatosk unsheathed Emil's sword and pointed it at Lloyd's throat. "I require more power, human. Give me Lumen's core now or I'll take it from you myself!"

The core fell from Lloyd's hands, and Ratatosk drew from its power, bending Lumen to his will. It was just barely enough to lock the demons away, but it could only be a temporary measure. Until he could return to the door itself, the strength of Niflheim would not be subdued for long. His heart burned in anger, consuming everything else within him with madness and grief.

From beside him, he heard the sound of Marta's voice. "Why did you do that?" she was crying, her face pale and fearful. "Lloyd is your friend, Emil. How could you threaten to hurt him like that?"

"How?" Ratatosk laughed. "Why should I do anything less to someone who would allow me to be erased by that pitiful fool? Even you, Marta! After everything, even you would betray me for him! I will not allow it! If you mean to stand in my way, I will cut all of you down until you truly understand what the pain of betrayal feels like!"

_NO_, Emil cried out in protest. _She never betrayed you, not even for a moment. She was the one who stopped me from erasing you, Ratatosk. She fought on your behalf because she loves you and would be miserable if you ever went away from her. Don't hurt her, I'm begging you. She didn't do anything wrong. If you're going to fight someone, let it be me._

"So you're still hanging around, are you?" Ratatosk snarled. "Give up already! You'll never be stronger than me no matter how hard you fight. But if it really is your wish, I could take care of you right now. Just say the word, and I'll send you back to oblivion where you belong."

"Emil!" Marta screamed, falling to her knees. "Please! I'm begging you, don't do this to yourself! If any single part of you loves me at all, don't do this!"

She looked at him, her face completely crumpled by pain. Her gaze was so raw, so wrenching that Ratatosk's anger dissolved to pieces and was replaced by the guilt of having brought her to this point through his actions and words. His heart, both conflicting halves of it, wept in horror at what he'd done. _Let me never again be responsible for such anguish in the heart of another_, Emil and Ratatosk prayed together, and at that the moment, the first moment their heart had every united fully under a single cause, the spirit of Verius filled them with his light.

"In accordance with this wish," he said, "I will hold the spirit of Ratatosk back for the time being. You are a being of many passions, but as they exist now, they threaten to spill forth and harm those you have come to care for. Howeverm I am a lesser Spirit to you, my Lord Ratatosk. I cannot seal you forever. Perhaps you might use this time to reflect on what your other half has learned in his time apart from you. You think him a weakness, but without his assistance, you posses neither the selflessness nor the trust with which to guard the world or the girl who loves you. This you have already seen within your heart, though you fear the implications of its truth."

"As for you, my child," Verius said, addressing Emil, "you are free to proceed as your heart desires. You wish right now to seal yourself to your door to atone for your sins towards Marta and Richter, but should your heart ever change on this matter, there are other manners of protecting your domain that you have not yet realized. Perhaps the object of your heart has the answers you do not. Whatever the case is, you now have leave to confront him. The Ginnungagap awaits its master, and your beloved awaits both his fate and yours. What will come to pass is in your hands now, for better or for worse."

"I understand," Emil whispered.

He saw the figure of Ratatosk before him, the spirit's red eyes torn between fear and sadness and his body strangely small and withdrawn. Little by little he began to vanish into shadow, his consciousness emptying out from Emil's and his tempestuous emotions fleeing from their heart. Emil extended his hand to touch the air where Ratatosk had stood, but there was nothing there anymore. Every trace of him had been sealed away, leaving Emil, for the first time, entirely alone within himself.

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**A/N**: Next up is the Ginnungagap! This has the potential of being very long, so I may or may not break it up into two parts depending on how it turns out. In any case, I'm planning on more Richter perspectiveness because he is just so fun to write! Stay tuned!


	7. Symphony of the Heart

**A/N: **Wooho, we've finally reached the Ginnungagap, the second to last part. I decided to make it all one chapter because I'm the author and I am mad with that sort of power. Bwhaha. Random thought: I don't know about all of you, but before this part of the game, I go on an adventuring spree. I spend hours and hours questing, doing Gladsheim, collecting monsters, and finding Philosopher's stones for so long that if Emil and Marta were actually doing all these things, it would be about a year before they confronted Richter in the Ginnungagap. I wonder what Richter would do in all that time? I mean, it's not like he wants the world to become Niflheim, so he would hold the demons back as long as he could until Ratatosk showed up. Maybe he could play checkers with Aqua, or something. Or take a much deserved nap. I've always wondered about that.

Well, now that I've put that insanity out there, I hope you enjoy the penultimate chapter!

_"You're throwing away your well being just like that? Do you think that something you can throw out easily can be exchanged for something important? You dislike others being hurt, but you allow yourself to be wounded. You don't even know how much it may hurt someone else you care about to see you injured. When one sacrifices oneself to help another, it could actually be painful to the person being helped, especially when that person is of importance to them." CLAMP, xxxHolic Kei _

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Richter stood alone in front of the Ginnungagap, his heart beating vocally in his chest. As unemotional as he usually tried to be, he could not help but admit to himself that he was frightened. In only a few moments, he would become a part of this door, doomed forever to live in eternal hell as its permanent seal. With the aid of the Sacred Stone and the Chosen's Cruxis Crystal, he would spend every age until the end of time burning his never ending mana to close away the demonic realm, never to die or truly live ever again. Would it hurt, he wondered? Would his body feel the painful heat of the fire, or would his ties to the Ginnungagap make him more than a mortal and give him the ability to rise above it? Would he be forced to remain conscious for every single moment, forced to dwell on his short and meaningless life long after everyone he knew passed away before him?

He shivered. The time had almost come. Already Aqua's protection had left him, and now nothing stood in the Summon Spirit's way, nothing but Richter at the height of his power, on fire with righteous anger and determined to find justice for both Aster and Emil. It had to be enough. As much as he feared his future of nothingness, he feared even more the prospect of failing the two he intended to sacrifice everything for.

"Richter," came a soft voice from behind him. He turned around. Emil was standing there, his blade unsheathed and brandished bravely and without the trademark trembling Richter had come to expect from the boy. He was surprised that Ratatosk was not the one to approach him first; he had thought that his invasion of the Summon Spirit's domain would be enough to call him forth so that they could fight as true enemies without throwing the innocent feelings of Emil into the mix.

"Please step away from the door," Emil said quietly, his eyes bright and earnest. "Turning this world into Niflheim won't solve anything, Richter. Please let me seal the door."

"Don't bother pleading, Emil," Richter said, taking a step forward. The rest of the group was filing into the room, but he ignored each of them, focusing only on the form of his eventual prey. "This isn't between you and me. Let me speak to Ratatosk."

"You can't."

"Oh, really? I doubt that he is sitting silently in you right now. I opened his door against his will and am in the process of polluting it with the demonic realm. His anger must be burning outside of your control. If you would just let him come through, and I will do my best to relieve him of it."

"It's impossible. I had him sealed away. If y-you still want to go through with it, it will be me you'll have to fight. So please don't do this. Please let me take care of the door."

Richter's fists clenched at his side. "Do you mean to tell me that Ratatosk is completely removed from your being? That you have denied me of my revenge in destroying him?"

"No. It is impossible to seal him away forever. I just need to keep him away long enough to prevent him from hurting you or anyone else, and then both of us will..." He trailed off, his green eyes traveling to the Ginnungagap. "Richter. Aqua told us why you are doing this. I won't pretend to understand why you want to bring Aster back if its to a world ruled by demons, but I know I have to stop you. Nothing is worth corrupting this world for. Please realize what it is you're doing and stand down. I don't want to fight you."

"Likewise. I came here to kill Ratatosk, and I intend to take no other life but his." Richter drew Sol and Mani and called forth the power of the Sacred Stone. "So I'm afraid I'm going to have to fight you until he comes out to face me himself. I'm sorry, Emil. It wasn't supposed to be this way."

His body began burning, every inch of him coursing with the power of fire. Emil stared up at him in awe, his lips trembling faintly. "What is this?" he whispered, taking a step back. "What have you done to yourself?"

"None of this concerns you. Give me Ratatosk! I'll fight you until you no longer have the will to keep him from me anymore!"

He thrust his sword at Emil, and Emil quickly blocked his attack. His companions rushed to his side to aid him, but Richter was determined not to be outnumbered. The power of his new body was stronger than anything they possessed, and he would not allow himself to fall until Ratatosk was dealt with for the sake of Emil.

"Richter!" Emil yelled, grunting with the exertion of his blade work. "Think about what you're doing. How could this be what Aster wanted? If he was truly your friend, he would never be okay with you sacrificing this much for him. Don't you understand what a burden it will place on him when he returns to life?"

"Don't talk to me about him," Richter snarled. "Don't use this form against me while Ratatosk is still inside it."

"I... I know that I am responsible for Aster's death, but-"

"Responsible? Don't be pretentious. You are just one cell in that monster's body. If you really wish to atone for his death, let his true murderer confront me!"

"Please don't call him that," Marta cried, grinding her spinners against Richter's sword. "Ratatosk has changed since his reawakening. The grief and anger that led to Aster's death is being healed, and he's going to become the spirit he was meant to be. Don't let your sadness destroy the last hope for this world's safety."

Richter laughed bitterly. "What do you know? I never wanted anything to do with you, girl. The only reason you're alive now if because killing you would have killed him. But it doesn't matter now. Emil is going to hate me no matter what I do, so I'm not holding back with you any longer. If it draws Ratatosk to the surface, I will do it without any guilt at all."

"No! I promised him I would protect her!" Emil threw himself in front of Marta, blocking the blow intended for her with his sword. "Don't mock me, Richter. I'm strong enough to hold him back. If you want to fight him, you'll have to kill me first!"

Richter hesitated for only a moment, but it was a moment long enough for Emil to overpower him and slice him with his blade. Richter stumbled back, some of the power of the Sacred Stone slipping from him as he bled out. He regained his footing, but Emil and the others were already in front of him, poised for another attack.

"I know you're hurt," Emil murmured as he stepped closer. "I know you've been hurting for a long time. But you're hurting me, too. You've accused me before of not being fair, but what in this is fair to either me or you?" He pressed his blade against Richter's chest. "Stop this. You can hate me all you want for killing your friend and then keeping him from being revived, but I will protect this world with everything I have."

"And let Ratatosk go unpunished? Never." More of Richter's power slipped from his grasp, and he felt the fire receding from his weakened body. "If you think I'm being unfair, you can curse me when Ratatosk is gone from this world forever."

"He won't be. Because of the courage you taught me and the love I feel for you, I will never permit you to hurt yourself or the world we live in. I'm sorry, Richter, but I'm not going to lose!"

He swung his blade and knocked Richter from his feet. As Richter fell to the floor, the Sacred Stone withdrew from him, leaving his body powerless and bleeding on the cold, unforgiving ground.

"Aster," he whispered, dropping his weapons. "Emil. I'm... sorry."

Emil stepped forward and pressed his hands against the Ginnungagap. The symbols on the door glowed, and the demons began to shriek as Ratatosk's power leaked back into the seal. Emil grunted and turned away. "Why isn't it enough?" he wondered. "I have to stop this immediately."

"Take this," Richter whispered, dropping the Sacred Stone onto the floor. "I guess there's no point in holding onto this if you... you're going to be the one to decide what will happen... to everything."

Emil knelt in front of him and picked it up carefully in his hands. "Lloyd told us about these," he murmured sadly. "The Sacred Stone. It turns the mana in your body into fire, which is toxic to demons. That's why you wanted Colette's Cruxis Crystal, right? You wanted to be the seal on the door after the demons brought Aster back to life." Emil's hand sought Richter's scarred and bloody cheek. "But don't you understand? That's my job. That's what Ratatosk and I owe to you."

He drew away, turning his back on Richter. Richter couldn't see his face, but he saw Emil's shoulders shaking, as if he were crying. But in a moment, the sound of laughter filled the room, though it did not seem to belong to Emil. It was too coarse and cruel to ever come from him. Richter's hands immediately sought for Sol and Mani. _Ratatosk_.

"You!" Marta cried, running towards him. "You... you're back. I thought Emil-"

"Ha," Ratatosk interrupted her. "Verius said himself that he could not seal me forever, and with this power Emil is sending through my body, I could not help but awaken. I see he has neglected to return Aqua to me, however. Marta, my dear,"- he withdrew his sword and pointed it at her chest- "would you be so sweet as to hand it over to me before I do something unforgivable to your lovely body?"

Without thinking of his condition, Richter rose to his feet and threw himself at Ratatosk. The spirit whirled around and blocked his attack quickly, sending him falling back to the floor. For a moment their eyes met. To Richter's surprise there was a touch of guilt in them, as if the action had been painful for him. _That isn't Ratatosk_, Richter realized slowly. _Ratatosk would never look at me like that. What is Emil doing?_

In an instant, it dawned on him. Hadn't Emil just announced that sealing the door was his duty? There was no way he could seal it permanently if he wasn't in core form, and there was no way for him to return to his core but with the encouragement of severe bodily pain. Just like Richter, he was intending to sacrifice himself for the benefit of his loved ones.

"Marta, don't-" he began to say, but Emil whirled around and pointed his blade at his throat.

"You! Shut up! I will have Aqua's power and you won't stop me! This world belongs to me!"

"I don't believe this!" Marta cried, throwing herself at Emil's feet. "This isn't you, I know it isn't. Please tell me why you're doing this!"

"It seems all of you over estimated Verius. He has the power to keep Emil from being erased, but he will never be strong enough to erase me. If you really want to stop me, you'll have to fight me until I retreat to become the seal of the Ginnungagap. Otherwise, hand over Aqua's core and submit to me."

Lloyd stepped up from behind Marta and drew his blade. "Remembered what we promised Yuan and the World Tree," he said quietly.

"I know, but..." She gazed at Emil, her face white with distress. "I can't believe in this. I can't. But if it is true, for Emil's sake I will fight." She lifted her spinner.

"No," Richter whispered hoarsely, too quietly for anyone to hear him. "If you love Ratatosk or Emil, you have to realize who is standing in front of you right now!"

Lloyd and Marta drew upon Emil, but he did not fight back as their weapons cut his body. He simply allowed his blood to fall as he crumpled to the ground beside Richter, his green eyes dimmed with resignation for his fate.

Lloyd raised his blade for the final blow, but Marta stopped him. "That's enough," she said, dropping to her knees. "Emil, this isn't funny. Why are you always so determined to erase yourself?"

"I'm not Emil," Emil said, suddenly very unconvincing. "I'm Ratatosk."

"Of course you are. But not the half of him you're pretending to be. I should have known that you would do this. You've always wanted to atone for the murder of Aster, haven't you? And this is your way of doing it."

Emil closed his eyes and nodded. "I have no right to live anymore. After what we did to Aster, Ratatosk and I have no right."

"You're wrong!" Marta grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "You're both wrong. The person who murdered Aster doesn't exist anymore! Don't you see? You were changed by Ratatosk and all of us, and he was changed by you. Both of you care about this world and care about protecting our happiness, so why is the question of erasing either of you even still an issue? I trust you. I trust him. I love you both. Please stop punishing yourself for things outside your control. I won't let you anymore."

She rose to her feet. "Verius. If you can feel the wish of my heart, please come here and help Emil and Ratatosk. They need you right now."

"When don't they?" The fox spirit appeared in between Emil and Richter, looking somewhat amused. "Look at the both of you. I see that stubborn self-sacrifice has done its work on you, as it should. There is nothing worse than attempting to destroy yourself in front of the people who care about you most. Even though you do it for their sake, how do you expect their hearts to feel when you have caused yourself pain on their behalf? I hope you two will learn this lesson well before either of you attempt to make another pact with me. Especially you, Emil, since you intend to make one now."

Emil hung his head in shame. "I understand. This time Ratatosk and I will do things the right way. There will be no need to erase either of us anymore. We will work together."

"Ah. I see you are both in agreement on this. Very well. Ratatosk will come forth now, but you shall remain with him as well for as long as this is the wish of your heart."

Verius rested his head at Emil's feet, and Emil's body began to glow in pure white light. When the light vanished and he opened his eyes again, they were the red of Ratatosk. Richter winced and turned his face away, unable to meet them without the prospect of Emil gazing back.

"Ratatosk," Marta whispered. "It's you this time."

"Yes. The time has come to decide the fate of this place. I cannot seal the Ginnungagap without becoming the lock since it was forced open by another. Since you have forbidden me that choice, it must be saved by some other means."

"I suppose we'll go back to my original plan, then," Richter said, his voice dark and defeated. If Aster would not be returned and Emil not seperated from Ratatosk, he had no further point in living. At last, he was resigned to his fate.

"Emil will not condone this solution unless it is amended," Ratatosk said, regarding Richter curiously. "And nor will I, because it benefits no one. You can guard the door if you like, but while you do, I will rewrite the law of mana in this world. Mana is foreign to this place, and it was once unnecessary to use it in maintaining life. If we revert to the old code of living, its presence will no longer be essential to your world. Then I will be able to draw it to the door and use it to form a permanent, unbreakable seal."

"But won't the world die if you do that?" Lloyd wondered.

"This world was always meant to die. Everything living must eventually meet that fate. But no, not in this case. It will a different world, run under a different law. That is all. It will, of course, decline when it reaches the end of its lifespan, but it will be reborn anew when that occurs. Such is the way it should be."

"And what about you?" Sheena asked. "Summon Spirits are made of mana. Will this new law cause you and the others to die?"

"Yes, unless it his intention to ask me to make him mortal," Verius added. "Which would be unwise, since he needs his powers to put this plan into action. But that is a long way off. Much longer than the lives of humans."

"It will take a thousand years," Ratatosk clarified. "That is the time I need to transition the laws and that is as long as Richter's body will be able to hold the door under my protection. After that time, his body will no longer need the mana he sacrificed to survive. When the thousand years have passed, I will set him free."

"Then we don't have time to waste," Richter said, slowly pulling himself up to his feet. "Let's start this now, while we still can."

"Agreed. We will need to shut off this room, so I'm afraid you all must leave." He reached out and squeezed Marta's hands. "But before you go, I have one thing to say. I was never quite deserving of this friendship you granted me, but it meant the world. I wish I had been able to earn it properly. I'm sorry, Marta."

"Don't." She threw her arms around him and buried her head in his shoulder. "Even at your worst, you were always the best to me. I'll never forget that. And I won't say goodbye."

"You should just focus on being happy. There will be someone else to win your heart, Marta. Don't hang your hopes on me."

"You've always been an idiot," she said, laughing dismissively. "Verius could tell you exactly what is in my heart. It is and will always be you."

She turned around slowly, her eyes lingering on Ratatosk. "Come on," she said to the others. "It's time."

They left the room one by one, waving to Ratatosk and wishing him well as they went. Marta left last, turning around to give one long and lingering look before disappearing beyond the gate.

"You know," Verius mused, glancing back towards Ratatosk and Richter, "I've been having a thought. Richter, the pact you and I made became void when you were defeated by Emil, but I'm beginning to think that it would not be so wrong of me to fulfill the last bit of it, if Lord Ratatosk has no objection. Lord Ratatosk, it was and still is this man's wish to remove Emil from your body and allow him to live his own life free from the duties of a Summon Spirit that were imposed on him."

"Emil and I would naturally have a counter-offer to that," Ratatosk said quickly.

"Naturally. I would know the cries of objection in Emil's heart from anywhere. Luckily for you, Richter's heart seems to coincide with your altered wish, even though he is not yet aware of it. With support from three sides, how could I hesitate? Very well." Verius bent his head and focused in on Ratatosk. "My Lord Ratatosk, this will feel very odd at first. You may have trouble standing for a moment or two with only half of your powers, but do try to bear it as best you can."

Richter watched in confusion as the form of Ratatosk slumped forward, seeming to lose consciousness. A thread of white came forth from his chest, spilling into the air like a cloud of smoke. The cloud shifted in the air, changing colors and forms every second until the red eyed Ratatosk emerged and landed safely on his feet, examining his body with disdain.

"Ugh, so this is what mortals feel like," he groaned, poking his skin. "I feel like even the simplest attack could knock me over right now."

"Don't forget that you are still part Summon Spirit," Verius said kindly. "It will take much more than that to harm a manifestation of Lord Ratatosk."

"How is Emil doing?" Ratatosk went over and prodded the limp form of Emil with his foot. "Hey, kid. You still alive?"

Emil groaned, opening his green eyes. "I feel like I'm on the verge of death right now," he sighed.

"That's what you get for agreeing to split our power. Verius did warn us that it would be painful."

"And we were already injured to begin with, I guess." Emil stumbled to his feet. "You shouldn't stick around here. The others should be on their way out by now."

"Don't you dare order me around, you brat. If I go out now, Marta will just send me back in exchange for you while she still can."

"She knows how it stands with me. I'm exactly where I belong."

"It still doesn't seem quite fair. I existed first. Seems like I should be the one doing the difficult work while you get the free ride."

"I don't care how difficult this will be. I just want to stay by the side of the person I love."

"Hmm. Well, at the end of the thousand years, I will come back and take my place here and allow you to go free. That way we will have both done our duties and atoned for our sins. Will that be fine?"

"Yes. I will agree to that. And after I have lived enough on the earth, I will return to you, and then we can be rejoined."

"Ha! As if I would want to be rejoined with you. You have horrible taste, you know."

"Speak for yourself."

Richter glared at Verius, confused by this scene. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked. "I don't remember agreeing to setting Ratatosk free."

"No, but your heart did agree to Emil remaining at your side, though your better judgment denied this."

"W-what? I distinctly remember saying that I wanted Emil to have his own life."

"You did. And this is his own life. The one he chose."

With a smile, Verius vanished. This drew the attention of Ratatosk and Emil, who were still bickering with one another over matters of taste.

"Well," Ratatosk said. "I'll leave this up to you. As a part of me, I'm sure you can handle the basics without too much difficulty. I'll monitor the situation from the surface while you work at it."

"Take good care of Marta," Emil said earnestly. "I'll never forget her friendship for as long as I exist."

"Fine. Just as long as that's as much as you think of her." With a curt wave, Ratatosk sauntered out of the room, sealing it behind him with his portion of their power.

The room was silent. It was just the two of them, as it would be for a thousand more years. Richter would have laughed if he wasn't so angry. Never would he have imagined that this was how things would end up between them.

"What the hell did you do that for?" he yelled, shaking Emil. "I was going to give you the chance to go free. Why did you hand it over to him? You deserved that life."

"I love you," Emil said simply. "I wanted to stay by your side. Leaving you is the only thing that would have made me unhappy."

"Are you an idiot? This isn't a game. Do understand what the next thousand years will be like?"

"Yes. I get it. But it doesn't change anything. I want to be with you."

"I don't understand you." Richter turned his back on Emil, his face slightly red. "After all that's happened, you'd think you would know better."

Emil sighed. "Yeah. You'd think."

Richter felt Emil's hand sliding into his. They were still thin and breakable, but yet so mysteriously strong as if they were capable of anything. But, most importantly, they were warm. They were alive. They were with him here, and they would stay with him even though he was afraid and still grieved by everything that had happened to reach this point. He had never thought it possible, but here at last was something that was his and his alone to keep.

With a sigh of resignation, he turned around again and stooped down to plant a kiss on Emil's upturned lips. The boy gasped and tried to back away in surprise, but Richter kept him close, drawing him in. He tasted sweet, just as he thought he would. Like strawberries and pancake batter and cinnamon. He slid his tongue slowly inside Emil's mouth, indulging in it while he still could.

After a minute, he pulled away and gently reached inside Emil's tunic for the Sacred Stone he had given him. He removed it and held it between his hands. "Well," he said, "I guess this is it."

"W-what?" Emil stammered. His hands were pressed against his lips as if he were deciding whether the kiss had truly happened or not. "But-"

"Look. We're going to have to do this sooner or later. And the sooner we finish, the sooner we can get out of here and really have some sort of a life together. I don't want to get off to a bad start by trying to postpone a one thousand year wait."

He walked up to the Ginnungagap and rested his hands against it. Already his body was beginning to glow with fire. It didn't hurt like the first time he had transformed. He could feel Emil's protection settling around him, a blanket no amount of pain could break.

"I love you, Richter," Emil said, gazing at him sadly. "I'll wait as long as it takes."

Richter met his green eyes for the last time before the flames engulfed him. "Yeah," he said, returning with an equally sad smile. "I supposed it can't be helped."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

**A/N**: Wheeee. Final chapter will be up soon. After a thousand years, what new life awaits our two heroes?


	8. Awakening

**A/N:** Aaaand we have reached the end of our journey here. I'm so happy that I took the time to write this, because multi-chapter Emil and Richter is fun stuff! After this, methinks I need a heavy dosage of fluff though. I happen to be way too serious sometimes for my own good. All the same, I hope you guys enjoyed this. Thanks to all who read and reviewed; as always, I love getting feedback and having people read my crazy ramblings. Keep that Emil/Richter love thriving!

_"Oh heart! oh blood that freezes, blood that burns! Earth's returns for whole centuries of folly, noise, and sin! Shut them in with their triumphs and their glories and the rest! Love is best." Robert Browning, Love Among the Ruins._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

It was strange how different time seemed when there was too much of it. Emil couldn't quite say when he lost his awareness of the hours and days and years that were passing; all he knew was that before he realized what was happening, it became indistinguishable. Little by little the urgency that had possessed him during his first and only year on the surface disintegrated completely into the mindless flow of life, and he began to exist as he once had before, back when he was a part of Ratatosk, living only to guard the world from any harm that it might face. As long as he had his task set in front of him, he needed nothing else to occupy his time or thoughts; nothing, that is, but the sound of Richter's labored breathing coming from behind him, a constant and soothing reminder of what awaited him if he stayed true to his purpose.

After seven hundred years spent in the Ginnungagap, Richter had lost consciousness. Even with Emil's protection over him, there was only so much his mind and body could tolerate without succumbing to its exhaustion. Although there was no doubt in Emil's mind that he would last long enough for the door to be sealed properly, he still mourned the fact that he could not pull Richter away from the source of his pain and give him reprieve. In the end, they were both bound to finish what they had started. Anything else would have to come after their world was secure, and true time returned to them, bringing back the notion of precious hours and days and years to spend together, urgent moments that would pass yet never fade. Until then, Emil had been forced to reconcile himself to the remaining three hundred years of Richter's silent slumber while he worked alone to reawaken him to a new and better world.

With this in mind, he worked steadily onward until the advent of the thousandth year. Though he had no knowledge of how much time had passed, he was able to sense when his work was coming to its close from the changes appearing in the Ginnungagap. As planned, mana was pooling steadily into the door, allowing the strain on Richter's body to recede. The sacred fire that shrouded him had also dimmed, and his tired breath at last evened out. When Emil sent a final burst of power to draw the last of the mana away from the world that no longer required it, he knew it was finally over. The mana now covered the entirety of the door and sealed it without crack or flaw. The demons of Niflheim were securely held at bay, and there was no chance of them ever corrupting the world with their evil again.

The moment Emil's work was complete, Richter's body fell away from the door and slumped to the ground. Emil was at his side at once, cradling his body and resting Richter's weight against his shoulder.

"Richter," he whispered, his voice dry and hoarse from all the years it had gone unused. Power glowed from his hands, and he pressed them gently against Richter's temples, willing him to feel his strength and find his way back to the world he had been lost to for so long. "P-please come back to me. We did it. It's time to wake up."

As Emil tended to Richter, he heard the barrier that sealed the Ginnungagap from the Otherwordly Gate being lifted. Surprised, he glanced over to the place where Lloyd, Marta, and all the others had returned to the surface a thousand years ago when he made the choice to accept his duties as a Summon Spirit. A small and aged man with long white hair and an unexpectedly youthful stride entered the room, his eyes first fixed on the sealed door and then on Emil and Richter. A crooked smile grew on his face as he looked down on them. "You know," he said in familiarly aggressive voice, "you might want to pack on a few muscles before you attempt to help him out of here. The way you are now, you won't make it two steps without collapsing. Still a weakling, huh? I guess some things never change."

Emil's eyes widened as the memories of his history with this being flooded him. "Ratatosk?" he gasped, trying to find the familiar spark buried under the mask of age. "Is that you?"

"Of course, you idiot. What, you can't see me through a few wrinkles?" Laughing, he shifted his form back to the red eyed version of Emil's. "I found it helpful to go through the aging process several times on the surface. It's easier than explaining the whole Summon Spirit thing to people."

A million questions bombarded Emil's mind, and he picked one at random. "Is everything all right up there?" he asked.

"As all right as can be expected," Ratatosk said, folding his arms across his chest. "Humans are still humans. They've had more than their share of wars, and the world is very different now from the one you left. But your task succeeded, and there is no longer competition for mana or instability in nature. The World Tree is flourishing, and its guardians are protecting it to the utmost of their abilities." Ratatosk paused, looking again at Richter. "You shouldn't stay here. He needs fresh air and food, or he won't last much longer. If you adjust your form a bit, you'll be able to carry him outside to the Rheaird I've left out there for you. It's been programmed with directions to a place you can stay for the time being, and you'll be able to take care of Richter there."

"You can do that to Rheairds now?"

"You can do a lot of things you never dreamed of doing back then. I told you that it's different now. With every generation, new minds with new ideas are born, and the world changes with every philosophy they bring to it. I hate to give those humans credit for anything, but they are fascinating to watch at least. You'll see for yourself soon enough."

"A lot of things have changed then."

"Naturally. Names for places have changed, and the two worlds that were once seperate have blended together. You'll probably even find the descendants of some of your old friends roaming about if you look hard enough." Ratatosk shook his head. "But none of that matters right now. I didn't come here to talk. I came to work. Now take your friend and enjoy what time you have while you still have it. You do no one any good by wasting it here."

"B-but there is so much I need to ask you. I still don't know what to expect."

"I understand that, you know. When you reach the house, I've left some journals for you to read to catch up with the things that happened while you were away. For now, that will have to be enough. Don't forget that you will be returning to me before long. We will have all the time in the world to speak of these things then."

Emil nodded and turned back to Richter. Drawing on his power, he made himself strong enough to hoist him on his back and carry him away from the Ginnungagap. Ratatosk's eyes followed them with a look torn between envy and sadness, and he waved them off without another word. Emil considered lingering and drawing more information from him, but Richter's flagging breath against his neck told him that now was not the time. He had waited so long to have this man at his side without bitterness or duty standing between them, and his idle curiosity meant nothing in the face of the greater force that called him away from his door and back up into the light of the surface.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The Rheaird- if that was what you could the thing that had transformed into something much more complicated and sleek than the Rheairds Emil had been familiar with- took the two of them to a small island in the middle of the sea where a small cottage rested against the outskirts of the beach. In the distance, Emil could see a waterfront town jutting from the horizon, but he could not discern enough detail to guess where he was. It didn't much matter, at the moment. Richter was regaining his color, but he was not yet as well as he should be. Emil once again hoisted him onto his back and carried him into the house to lay him down on the bed.

In the kitchen there was a spout for water, so Emil filled him up a glass and rooted around the cupboards for some food for him to eat once he had regained consciousness. Ratatosk had left them more than enough to survive on before they would need to go into town and purchase supplies for themselves. Emil made a mental note to search the house for gald, if that was even what they were using these days for currency. If the amount Emil had managed to amass that single year on the surface was any indication, he was certain Ratatosk had some massive treasure trove hidden somewhere in the cottage.

Once Richter was settled in, Emil rooted around to find the journals Ratatosk had mentioned back in the Ginnungagap. He still hungered for answers to his questions on the changes in the world he'd returned to, and wanted at least a general idea to pass on to Richter when he woke up in a drastically altered landscape, Emil discovered them stacked to an impressive height in the study adjacent to the bedroom, each with dates sloppily inscribed on the front cover. He chose the earliest volumes and settled himself in the chair on the porch to enjoy the long absent sunlight as he read.

The first entries were curt and to the point, exactly what Emil would have expected from the abrasive Ratatosk. He spoke of how Marta had kept a journal during what he referred to as his 'time as that wimp Emil,' and how she had asked him to keep one for the aforementioned wimp so he would know all that had come to pass during his absence. Ratatosk had apparently been very resistant to this idea, and Emil, remembering how he had blatantly neglected the task of journal keeping while he was in Ratatasok mode, wasn't at all surprised to hear this. His writing also carried an extra note of bitterness through the next few pages especially because he seemed to think Marta's request proved that she was already longing for Emil rather than him, and that she could not bear not to involve his memory in some aspect of their lives.

'I don't think she'll ever forget you,' Ratatosk wrote, his words sharp and accusatory. 'She says she's happy I'm here, but I think she would have been just as happy if it had been you. Even locked inside the Ginnungagap, you're nothing but a pain, do you know that?'

As the entries progressed, Ratatosk grew more open and passionate in his descriptions. It was clear that he was really beginning to enjoy life on the surface. He talked of visiting Meltokio to fight in the Colosseum and seeing the rebuilt Ozette for the first time with Presea, who was finally growing taller and looking more her age. He wrote often of his travels, which took him from Mizuho, where Sheena was working hard to lead her people, to Exire, where Genis and Raine were working hard to find a way to return the half-elves to the surface. When Marta and Brute submitted to arrest for crimes the Vanguard had committed, he rambled on and on in his anger so vividly that Emil felt equal anger welling in his heart. When Zelos used his power as Chosen to grant the Lualdis an early release, Ratatosk took her away to Altamira and built her a home- this very cottage- on the seaside.

'She has so many bad memories of this place,' he wrote, 'so the least I can do is give her something good in return'.

On and on the stories went in that fashion. A stable government in Sylvarant began to organize with Widow Dorr at its head, Lloyd the Great and Colette the Chosen married and formed the most intellectually stunted couple in history, half-elf persecution slowly died away, and all traces of exspheres vanished in Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. Emil read and read of these things until he reached the page he had most been dreading. It was blank but for the date in black ink and a few words beneath it that read, 'I am told that there will be other people I will meet to heal the wound of what I have lost, but never again, even though I have hundreds and hundreds of years awaiting me here, will I find anything powerful enough to soothe the pain of living without her'. The entries did not resume until weeks after Ratatosk had written the words on the page, and his former note of complete happiness thereafter was permanently subdue.

Emil set aside the book and gazed out into the waters of the ocean. The fact that life had gone on without him was beginning to sink in. He was in Altamira now, but he didn't even know if it was still called by that name. And no matter what it was called, it wasn't the place he knew or even the place Marta and Ratatosk had lived together. Time had changed it, erasing their footprints and painting over them with new lives and new heroes whose quests drew them down the same paths with different purposes. The world was not his world anymore, but a stranger he would have to reacquaint himself with little by little.

He glanced back towards the house where Richter was sleeping. He wasn't unhappy to be here. It didn't matter what the world was, as long as they both were still here, still themselves. Like Ratatosk, there was only one person in all the world who could complete his happiness, and as long as they were together, the world could change at much as it liked. It didn't matter what was there, as long as there was, and always would be, love to fall back on.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

When Richter awoke, he found himself in a room he had never seen before. At first he thought he must be dreaming. He knew he was doomed to the Ginnungagap, and all else was a sick fantasy of his mind made to deny his reality. But somehow this place felt so real. The mattress was soft and warm against his back, his eyes were heavy with sleep and exhaustion, and his throat was dry and hoarse. He lifted up his head. There was a sandwich and glass of water waiting for him on the bedside table, alongside the used up and useless Sacred Stone that had consumed him for years upon years. Richter lifted it up, and then quickly placed it back onto the table as if he feared he would burst into flames all over again. He instead turned his attention to his food and drink, polishing off both in a matter of seconds. It felt so wonderful and strengthening that he could not deny he was truly awake now. He had no idea where he was or why he was here, but anywhere was a relief if it meant that his duties as a seal to the Ginnungagap would never be resumed.

"Emil?" he called out tenatively, swinging his legs out of bed. He thought he would feel much more empty without his mana, but he was surprised to find he felt as hale and strong as ever. Emil had done his job thoroughly for such a bumbling screw up. Where was he, anyways? Richter felt a sudden and foreign burst of longing for the feel of Emil beneath his hands, steady and constant. He felt lost and intrusive in his surroundings, and he needed something to clutch onto that he knew and understood and, grudgingly, loved. What was the point of being here otherwise? He had been ready to die; he lived only because Emil asked him to.

Richter stepped quietly through the hallways and out through the front door. The sun was so bright that it almost blinded him for a moment, but he shielded his eyes and caught his bearings. He saw Emil curled up on a rocking chair, staring pensively out into the rushing ocean that surrounded them, his green eyes absent and far away. Richter took him in for a moment, reminding himself of the form he had not laid eyes on for so long. The soft blonde hair, the flushing cheeks, the slight frame, the small, warm hands. He felt his throat close up, removing his power of speech. This was the exact thing he had given his life for. This was the only familiar sight in the world that he needed to feel the will to live. This poor creature had sacrificed so much for him, and Richter had never given him anything worthwhile in return, dealing out much more pain than the affection the boy had always desired. But now at last was the time to make amends. They had the time now. The time for sorrow and forgiveness and rebirth. The time for love.

"Hey," Richter said when his voice returned to him. "There you are."

Emil leapt to his feet in surprise, upending the stack of books he had surrounding him. His eyes frantically scanned Richter's body for signs of weakness, but the vivid blush on his cheeks told Richter that more than anything he was happy to hear his voice again after one thousand years of silence.

"Richter!" he cried, hurrying toward his side. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Although I would have expected to wake up to the sight of you rather than find you out here, reading the day away while I needed your care."

Richter was only teasing him, but Emil hung his head in shame, looking mortified. "You're right. I'm sorry."

Richter couldn't help it. He burst into laughter, roughly pulling Emil close and ruffling his already rumbled blonde hair with his hands. Emil's eyes widened as Richter continued to chuckle at his expense. It was only the second time he'd ever heard Richter laugh, and the sound of it was so beautifully strange that he had no idea what to say to it.

"What is it?" he at last demanded, smoothing his hair back in place. "What's so funny?"

"You're still sorry," Richter said, smiling in spite of himself. "After all these years, you're still sorry."

"I can't help it, Richter. You always manage to make me feel guilty."

"Of course. Of course. I'm glad to hear it. I'm glad you're still the same. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't."

"B-but I thought the way I was always used to annoy you. You hated when I apologized to you."

"Yeah. Maybe. But you know better than anyone else that I don't put up with things I can't stand. So why am I still here with you, after all this time?"

"I... don't know?"

"Of course you don't. You're still an idiot. And here I am still putting up with you."

He lowered his head and closed the distance between them, bringing their lips together. Emil was still holding back on him, he knew, but Richter had been denied for so long that he couldn't help but take and take and take until Emil sank willingly into him. He pushed against Emil like a man dying of hunger, reawakening himself to the taste that had become a sweet and distant memory until it returned to him so real that it resounded across every inch of his body. Emil whimpered into his lips with a cry so sincere and helpless that Richter could not wait for him any longer. He drew away and grabbed Emil's hands to pull him forward. "To bed," he said gruffly, leading the way.

"B-but!" Emil stammered, his face hot and his eyes half glassy with emotion. "You just woke up! M-maybe your body isn't ready for this yet."

Richter pushed him down into the sheets and leaned over him, pressing his hands against Emil's flushed cheeks. "I think both yours and mine are completely ready," he whispered back before rejoining their lips. With a strangled sigh, Emil's resistance faded into nothing as he allowed himself to give into the longings that invaded him. Rejoining the world could wait, but this couldn't. The of them had waited for so long that they could not be denied this moment, this first of many times they would take each other without the lingering threat of bitterness for the past or the fear of betraying the feelings of others.

Emil trembled slightly beneath him, and Richter paused to place a gentle hand against his face. "Are you afraid of me?" he asked, turning the boy's face so their eyes were locked together.

"N-no. Not you. You're the only thing I know right now. I think what I'm afraid of is everything else. Everything that will come after this."

"Don't worry about that. It's all in the future. Let's just focus on now, all right?"

He pressed his mouth against Emil's neck, feeling the heartbeat pulsing underneath his skin. He couldn't say how long any of this would last. Nothing was permanent, not even the world they lived in that felt so endless and indestructible. But what did it matter how much time they had or what they would do with that time before it reached whatever end it would find? It was just enough that they had it, and that it could branch out in whatever directions they chose. As long as they believed in it with their hearts, they could make a life wherever they chose, on whatever terms they desired in the precious time they had.

"All right," Emil echoed, at last submitting to the moment. "Let's begin."


End file.
